The Hawk and the Headhuntress
by LadyYunaFFX2
Summary: Headhuntress Aiya has been personally hunting Marines in order to avenge her former home town for years now. She kills without any second thoughts or mercy. But finally, she is captured after brutally murdering one of the Vice Admirals. Before she can be killed, she's saved but not by anyone she expected. Rated M for: Gore, blood, death, abuse, and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

This truly had been, as many Marines had often deemed it, the worst generation of pirates. From the emergence of Strawhat Luffy to Eustass Kid, many buccaneers were now making names for themselves in various forms and fashions.

However, most were overly eccentric or even a tad overzealous at worst.

As such, no one had been ready for a genuinely violent pirate, let alone a female one.

Some called her "Black Blade Aiya", others used "Bloody Aiya" but the most popular nickname she had been given was "Headhuntress Aiya". This was due to her preferred method of killing her victims; beheading. Depending on whom she set her sights on, she would use either of her two katanas.

One was a black blade which she had appropriately named Touzoku, meaning 'thief', and had the ability to steal the powers of a Devil Fruit user. It wasn't permanent, mind you. But the duration was long enough for Aiya to keep them locked away and use them against her opponents.

The other had an Ax Dial embedded in it and allowed her to flick wind blades towards her enemies. This ability gave Aiya the chance to attack from both long and short ranges with it. The addition of the Ax Dial had helped Aiya gave it the name of Kazekami, or 'wind god'.

As for the wielder of these weapons?

Aiya was twenty-one years old and hated anyone affiliated with the Marines or World Government with a burning passion, one that perfectly matched the color of her red hair and eyes. She stood taller than most typical females at five-feet-eight inches and wore rather elegant clothes.

Were it not for her name and reputation, it would be relatively simple to mistake her as a noble of sorts.

Of course, she did need a bit of help, namely with getting around. For that, she had Saku, whom she had first met back on Shells Town Island. Although the ship was his own, he had technically appointed her as the captain of it due to her being the strongest and best fighter aboard his vessel.

Over the months, her power and reputation only grew. It was fuel for the Marine's fire and it had worked beautifully. But that was exactly what Aiya had wanted, even if few of the Marines realized this. The entire - well, primary - reason for Chaos seeming to follow the red-headed pirate everywhere was simple. It was bait she used, much akin to how a Siren would sing and lure men to their deaths.

And it seemed to work, every damn time.

The thought made her smirk as she spotted through the spyglass another Marine ship heading over.

"Saku!" she called out, "Let Marianne know it may start getting a bit rough soon."

Marianne was their navigator whom Saku had bought - although some would argue 'steal' was the better word - from Sabaody Archipelago. It had taken a lot of technical adjustments, but they had made the hold filled mostly up with water so she could live and steer the ship properly.

Aiya smirked as she heard the faintest of sighs elicit from Saku.

"One of these days," he mused, "You're going to find your match. Marianne! Be ready for company soon!"

"Yes sir!" Marianne replied.

Aiya had opened her mouth to inquire whether Saku would maybe want anyone to add to his 'collection' of sorts. Every so often, he would take a precious item - if it could be used somehow - and give them to his summons that he created via the Shin Shin No Mi. Since it translated into the Death Fruit, he had shown an unnatural ability to embrace that by raising a skeleton and allowing them to fight with and for him.

Granted, the collection was limited as Saku was picky but now his soldiers had both Don Krieg's spear and Arlong's sword.

But before she could ask, the ship had closed the distance. Aiya had expected a lot of lower rank Marines to try to board or even fire at their ship.

Instead, one single man walked rather calmly on board. In his mouth was a lit cigar. He had slicked back hair, sunglasses, a brown suit, and a coat. The insignia was easy for Aiya to recognize; this was one of the many Vice Admirals.

"Headhuntress Aiya," he stated, "You will give yourself over. Come quietly and I won't drag the others into this."

Aiya merely narrowed her eyes.

"Hmph. I have no reassurance of that. Even still, I have come too far to just give up now. Who the hell do you think you are exactly?"

The man sighed as he tapped his cigar, causing some ash to fall on the wood below him. "I am Vice Admiral Cancer. And you - "

Aiya had been eyeing the Vice Admiral; not out of lust but curiosity. As a realization came to her, she snickered and quickly interrupted him. "Hah! You were intending to turn me in yet you have no weapon?! Don't fuck around with me. Now it's _my_ turn to give you some choices. You can leave quietly ... or die quickly."

"Foolish wench," he muttered, "Who says all weapons have to be ones you can see in order to use them?"

Despite still wearing his sunglasses, anyone would have been able to see him narrow his eyes.

The sensation which followed afterwards was something that one might or might not have been able to predict. Aiya _knew_ of what had just happened. But to feel how strong Conqueror's Haki could be? That was another story.

She didn't pass out ... but her body did feel slightly light-headed for a few seconds. Her instincts kicked in before too much of a toll could be taken on her body as she bit hard on her lower lip. The pain did its job and kept her conscious.

When she lifted her head, a few drops of blood plus an amused smirk adorned her face.

"Interesting," she muttered, "Good. Finally, a decent challenge. I am overdue for one."

Aiya had been standing perhaps ten paces away from Cancer.

... But in a matter of seconds, she charged forward and was soon inches away from him. She had already unsheathed Kazekami, deciding it would be the best sword to use against this man. Instead of her blade landing upon his flesh, however, it made a loud clang as it slammed against another katana.

 _I see. So it was hidden under the coat. Smart._

"Very well then," Cancer replied, "You have left me no choice it seems."

And with that, the official fight began. The sounds of metal meeting and impacting one another repeatedly resounded throughout the ship and even lingered into the sky. A quick peek around would show the sun setting and anyone who cared to recall would know it was the last day of June.

For a while, it probably appeared as if the two were on even terms, with neither holding an advantage nor disadvantage against the other. Both sword users were panting and breathing, not having spoken to one another until the Vice Admiral broke the silence.

"Not ... bad. I didn't think you ... were properly instructed."

"I ... wasn't. But I've had my fair share of encounters with ... people who use either swords, Fruits, or both. And I've walked away from them all alive!" Aiya proudly declared, smiling as her mind went to what she thought to be the best of these meetings. They all involved the same man, Dracule Mihawk.

 _Then again, he is known as the Best Swordsman in the World,_ she mused.

" ... I see ... " Cancer acknowledged in a barely audible voice. "It does show. I can hear you're not just bragging to do so."

"Of course! I always say what I mean and mean what I say!"

Again, Aiya charged forward, not noticing - or caring was probably the better wording - that the audience of at least twenty other Marines on the opposite ship plus Saku were all watching the fray intently.

Finally, an opportuity came in the form of Cancer missing. Instead, his sword landed in the mast and seemed to be stuck rather firmly in place.

While he tried to yank it out, Aiya took her chance. She quickly yanked Touzoku out and moved each sword so they formed an X shape. Both katanas were pressed tightly against Cancer's neck ... only to swiftly be pulled.

Shocked gasps and cries of disbelief rang out from the opposite ship as they watched the head of their Vice Captain fly off his body, only to land in the ocean. His body followed suit as Aiya kicked it triumphantly off the ship, leaving any sharks or other sea creatures to come and devour it if they so desired.

The Headhuntress smirked as she looked over to the other Marines, now covered in the former Vice Admiral's blood. "Heh! If that's the best you've got, you're going to have to do better! If Cancer couldn't get me, none of you will be able to!"

Thankfully, none of them needed to be told twice as the ship turned and sailed rapidly away from Saku's.

Satisfied with the outcome - and the fight all in all for once - Aiya chuckled as she sauntered down towards her room. On the way down, she passed Saku who shot her a look.

"Hm?" she asked, only to see her partner-in-crime shake his head.

"I just hope you know what you're doing. You should have killed the others."

Aiya casually shrugged, "Maybe. Maybe not. Saku, I get it. I know eventually, I'm going to lose my ... winning streak of sorts. But everyone does eventually."

"Yet you would still tempt your own fate and luck?"

"Yes." There was a very stern and determined tone in her voice which reassured Saku she was indeed as serious as she appeared and sounded. "Freeport and its people deserved better. If you had a problem with me avenging my home and what used to be my family, then - "

"Okay, okay," Saku replied, holding his hands up to show he had given up on the argument. "Just ... never mind that."

And with that, Aiya strode past Saku. The next sounds he would hear were her door closing, the door to Aiya's bathroom opening, a few buttons and zippers and finally, the water turning on before all that echoed through the ship was mere silence.

Sure enough, after Aiya finished cleaning the blood off of her body and drying herself, she got in a fresh set of clothing and lied down upon her bed.

No more than ten seconds passed. Once they did, Aiya fell asleep with a very content smirk on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

It had been twelve hours since the brutal murder of Vice Admiral Cancer had occurred. As such, the sun was now rising as opposed to setting like Aiya had last seen. Despite the ungodly hour, quite a few people were already awake and inside the Marine Headquarters which was located in Marineford.

All of the other major and important figures were there, including the higher-up ranking Marines such as Garp, Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji and all of the Shichibukai.

Even without speaking, it was obvious they all had a similar train of thought that they were thinking about.

But before any of them could speak up and officially begin the meeting, a very shaky Marine burst the doors open. His labored breaths hinted he had ran for a while, enough to make him appear as if he had been running a marathon.

"You damn well better have a reason for interrupting us," Akainu muttered under his breath, making no attempts to apologize or take his words back. It was obvious he had been eager to get to the point of the discussion.

Thankfully, no one had to wait long to hear what the cadet had to say, "S-Sorry sir but Vice Admiral Cancer ... is ... he's dead!"

Everyone immediately lifted their heads and looked over to the younger male. The tones of their voices ranged; some individuals were more calm, others curious, and others genuinely pissed off at the news. Still, only one word simultaneously rang out through the meeting room from all of the Shichibukai and higher-ranking Marines in the room and it was simply, "Who?"

"H...Headhuntress Aiya, sirs. And ma'am," he quickly added, remembering that there was indeed one female among the group; Boa Hancock to be exact.

An angry fist belonging to Akainu was the first to land upon the table, "That bitch!" he growled, staring down at the table before looking up towards the other Marine, "And _you_?! What's your excuse?!"

"He ... said he'd handle her himself, sir. He ordered us to remain on the ship."

" _All_ of you?!" He asked, seeming to find it difficult to believe. A growl elicited as the young man quickly nodded. "Fucking idiot. Get outta here!"

Of course, the insult had been hurled at the fallen Vice Admiral. But the poor cadet didn't need to be told to leave twice as he turned and ran out of the room. Boa sighed at the sight as she stood up and calmly closed the doors, taking her seat once more.

"Well then," Garp started after allowing the news to sink into everyone's ears and minds, "I do agree with Akainu that she does need to be discussed about. However," he looked over to Akainu, "Do you mind? Your language doesn't need to be so ... distasteful."

"Tch," he merely heard back.

Once Garp was satisfied with the reply - as much as one could be given whom they had spoken to, anyway - he pondered on whether to light a cigar or not. When the answer came back into his mind with the words 'not yet', he cleared his throat and looked around amongst all the Shichibukai and higher-ups.

"I believe that some of you have had run-ins with our fiery assassin here, yes?" he inquired, nodding as several others joined him and gave the other Vice Admiral an affirmative nod. "Has it been confirmed if she's a Fruit user or not?"

"What does that matter?!" Akainu protested before anyone could answer, "She needs to be dealt with! Whether she has one or not doesn't - "

"Actually," Garp interrupted, now raising his voice which held a new and very irritated tone in it, "It _does_ matter. Make no mistake, she will be dealt with. She _will_ pay for her crimes. All of them. But it won't do us any good if we just rush in. Another Vice Admiral is _dead_ because she is that strong. Now, if you want to join Cancer, by all means leave. Otherwise, shut up and let the others talk."

Akainu dared to narrow his eyes but kept silent, not wishing to push his luck too much.

The sight of a slightly pouting Akainu caused Doflamingo to snicker slightly, which did make some eyebrows raise though not enough to actually speak out loud to him.

"If she does, she hides it well." The calm reply came from none other than Dracule Mihawk himself. "She has used Haki; that I can say for sure. That being said, there's a good chance she might be able to resist even Conqueror's Haki."

Hushed whispers began to go around the table as the mere thought of a single woman pirate actually being able to stay conscious from one of the strongest powers in existence.

Garp, on the other hand, nodded yet again. "Somehow," he mused, "That doesn't amaze me too much. She does seem that strong-willed. When was the last time you ran into her, Mihawk?"

"About two months ago, give or take a few."

"Does she seem to have a goal of any kind? Was she heading towards a specific island? Or even away from one?"

An amused smirk crossed Dracule's face, "Taking interest in her now? The second she went on her killing spree is when we should have acted. Goals? I'm not certain exactly. I have a few theories based off her victims but that may not be related to what she wishes to accomplish. I believe she was leaving Water 7. What for?" He gave a casual shrug. "I don't know, nor am I sure where she would be about now."

Garp ran a large hand through his hair as he sighed then reached down and pulled out the most recent poster of Headhuntress Aiya. "I wouldn't say taking an interest, per se. However, it would be much more beneficial if we could convince her to side with us. Or even the Shichibukai. Given Crocodile has lost his spot, that would be a possibility. Either way, it seems like a waste to kill someone who is clearly this strong and skilled."

But deep down, he already had an instinct that Aiya was as stubborn as both Ace and Luffy. Due to that, she probably would decline which made another defeated sigh pass his lips.

"I want her alive, if only to at least attempt this. Otherwise ... we execute her, plain and simple. Does anyone have any arguments?" His gaze shifted directly at Akainu, as if daring him to speak up once more.

No one, including the hot-headed Akainu, piped up to protest the plan. At worst, some looked as uncertain as Akainu on whether there would even be a point to trying negotiations with Aiya or not.

"Very well then. Since she has shown she can hold her own against one Vice Admiral, we will probably need to pair up. Three groups of four as there are twelve of us."

After giving everyone a moment to argue on this and hearing nothing, Garp pulled out a blank piece of paper and began writing everyone's names down. Noting the cadet had lost his hat in the midst of running out, he picked it up off the floor and used that to place the names in.

"Group one will consist of myself, Mihawk, Blackbeard, and Kuma. Group two will be Moriah, Aokiji, Akainu, and Boa Hancock. The last group, therefore, will be Doflamingo, Kizaru, Jinbei, and Sengoku."

There were an array of mixed reactions. The three other Vice Admirals looked .. torn.

Akainu, for example, was glad to be with Aokiji but astounded Kizaru wouldn't be with him for once. They usually worked together. Then again, he seemed far too eager to care about being temporarily away from one of his typical partners-in-crime.

Others looked ... amused, more than anyone probably should be.

All in all though, Garp felt rather good. He would at least be going with someone who had gone toe-to-toe with the redheaded buccanneer. It would definitely help out in the long run.

As everyone began getting into their assigned groups, Garp looked over to Mihawk. "Since you've been around her the most between anyone in this group, what do you think? Rather, where do you think Aiya would be?"

"Simple. She's probably laying low, likely on a secluded island or still on her ship. But she's smart. I've seen that from noticing she always gets more tactical after each fight. They're probably still on the ship though the easiest way to figure that out, in truth, is find the latitude and longitude on where Cancer's ship was. From there, it should be easy enough to determine how to find her."

In truth, Mihawk had seemed to taunt Garp in order to throw off any suspicion that he himself actually did have an interest of sorts in the woman they were seeking. So to know that Garp was simply trying to recruit her secretly relieved Dracule. It meant he could pursue his own plans without any worry of them being discovered or ruined, assuming Aiya was indeed kept alive.

"Very good. Alright then, let's see about locating where Cancer was then."

Maps were pulled out and calculations were made.

Meanwhile, on the vast ocean, Aiya finally woke up a few hours before the sun was high in the sky to signal noon. The first thing she was greeted with was Saku's half-sarcastic and half-serious voice, "Congratulations, Aiya. You've earned yourself an even higher bounty than the Rubber Man himself."

"Hm?" she asked, only to be handed over a new poster of herself and smirking. "Heh. News goes around quickly I see. Good."

Saku raised an eyebrow then sighed, "You really should be careful what you wish for sometimes," he muttered.

"And _you_ should stop sounding like a broken record. The Marines won't be able to function without their best members, after all. I do know what I'm doing."

" ... I hope so ... " Saku mused, his voice barely above a whisper.

As Aiya walked past Saku to make herself an early lunch, she purposely dropped her new wanted poster. In big, bold letters, it read as follows:

 **WANTED: HEADHUNTRESS AIYA  
DEAD OR ALIVE  
500,000,000 Beli**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The next three days slowly dragged on for the Marines, Shichibukai, and Aiya herself. Of course, the red head had no exact idea on just what was happening though she did have a guess. She just didn't realize how right she had been.

Meanwhile, most of the Marines and Shichibukai had all realized and agreed on something; the groups had been a _horrible_ idea. As such, most of the groups had disbanded and the hunt for Aiya turned into a race of sorts. Each person seemed determined to find and capture her first, some more than others. There also seemed to be an equal amount of people who hardly cared about the task and ignored it altogether.

Among those who was still devoting themselves to tracking the violent pirate down was Dracule. Whereas most of the others had rushed off after leaving their group, however, he was going to try to go about this in a more logical way.

After all, they were trying to go after one of the deadliest women the world had ever seen. As such, running off in a vain attempt to find her wouldn't do Mihawk any good.

"Far from it," he muttered, sitting at a desk back in the Marine Headquarter's office. Dracule had figured the best way to try to track down said woman was attempting to understand her mindset. In order to do this, however, more information would need to be known about her. As it was, almost no one even knew about Aiya, let alone of her past.

Thus, it had led him to the idea of going through archives and a huge amount of files, namely birth certificates.

Needless to say, the same thought which had entered Dracule's mind when he started doing this search several - about four if not more to be exact - hours ago was confirmed. It would be _very_ difficult to find anything on a person, particularly one who doesn't seem to be fond of relaying personal details to anyone. It would be a miracle if her own partner-in-crime, Saku, even had the faintest idea of whom Aiya was exactly.

"Does she even have a surname?" he mused, shrugging casually afterwards. She probably did; it just wasn't used anymore. Or maybe she even forgot it? Either answer was a possibility and while Mihawk didn't really care much, it was another obstacle which made trying to find her in the numerous documents that much more annoying.

When he finally found what one could assume to be Aiya's birth certificate, it looked very ... half-assed. But at least the first name, hair, and eye colors matched the same woman that he was looking for. Aside from those, however, most of the fields were blank or had question marks after them, including the island she was supposedly born on.

And yet, it was that very same piece of information which grabbed his attention the most.

" ... Freeport?"

Mihawk wasn't confused. Far from it. He knew exactly which isle it referred to. However, he had been almost positive that no one had survived that incident. It had been very similar to the tragedy of O'Hara. The primary difference was Instead of the island being blown away by a Buster Call, the citizens had been lined up and executed by a firing squad of Marines.

 _If some form of fate had been on Aiya's side though, it is possible she survived without anyone else knowing._

The mere possibility only seemed to make Dracule that much more curious about the Headhuntress. She had gotten his attention quite a while ago, when they first met to be exact. He had been able to sense her determination, skill, and killing intent all very easily. Those three traits didn't often go well together but somehow, Aiya had held onto those three and used them to her advantage.

His eyes briefly closed as the sword-wielding Shichibukai recalled that fateful day, when he had ran into her on Alabasta. It was a day Mihawk would never forget. He had found her seconds after she defeated Crocodile.

Whether she had intended to help Luffy do this in the process or if fate had once more aided her out somehow was another story.

The look in her eyes was embedded firmly into Dracule's memory. Aiya had walked towards the defeated Mr. 0 with that same expression of killing intent reflecting in her crimson orbs.

But that had been why he halted her; not out of mercy for the failure of a Shichibukai but rather, to test the resolve of the swordswoman.

Oh, she had been _pissed_ at him. But maybe she sensed he was no fluke and that was partly why she fought against him anyway. His head shook as Dracule slowly opened his eyes once more.

"No," he decided, "She knew exactly what she was getting into. She addressed you by your name. There is definitely much more to her than what meets the eyes."

Nodding to himself, he exited the building, deciding that even if it was a long shot, the first try for Dracule would be heading for the deserted island of Freeport.

Sure enough, his hunch had been right. Aiya had been laying low the past several days. After being badgered by Saku and Marianne, she shot both irritated glares before replying to their previous inquiries on where to head to.

" ... Freeport," she declared with little hesitation.

The answer made Saku raise a slight eyebrow but he didn't protest against it. "Alright. You heard her, Marianne. Off to Freeport, it seems."

"But ... sir! It's literally a ghost island. No one lives there anymore and - "

Aiya cleared her throat before piping up, "I am still here, you know? Did I stutter?! I said head there. I know of it's state."

"S-Sorry! Yes, Aiya!"

With that, Marianne began steering Saku's ship towards Aiya's former home town. Unbeknownest to any of them, a small raft that was shaped like a coffin was heading in that very same direction.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

The trip would have been much, _much_ shorter ... except that Marianne had misplaced a few vital maps. All of them had included where exactly Freeport was.

Nonetheless, their quaint ship finally halted. It was Aiya's first signal that they had arrived. The next - and one which confirmed her guess was correct - came in the form of Saku's voice. "Oi! We're here!"

"Good," Aiya muttered, standing up and exiting her room. She'd been in a more ... pensive mood than usual. It was something that Saku tried to pry and find out about, only to give up when she began threatening to slash him to death. Yet even now, he was still curious ... but not enough to ask.

So as she walked past him, he merely turned and began to follow, stopping as she saw her raise a hand.

"Actually," she stated, "I will be going on this one alone."

... If he hadn't been interested before, now he most certainly was. He raised an eyebrow and glanced into the crimson eyes. " ... You ... sure that's a good idea?"

"You're not superstitious, are you? No one's gonna be here. No one _has_ been here for a good number of years. Yes, I'm sure." Aiya replied, using her peripheral vision to study Saku's reactions.

An annoyed sigh elicited from Saku's lips as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Can I at least know why the sudden fascination with this place? You've never ... been so eager to go to an isle before."

" ... Alright. I suppose you could say I'm a bit home sick."

Aiya knew no more explaining would be needed. Sure enough, as she continued stepping off, she could see Saku's eyes had widened.

The history of Freeport was no surprise to anyone who could read and did just that. As such, it was often deemed 'The Second O'Hara' - or even more specifically - 'The Second O'Hara Incident'. The main differences, really, were the use of a firing squad instead of Buster Call _and_ the fact Admiral Aokiji hadn't initiated the wreck with her hometown.

She'd heard leads, like whispers through the wind, that it was another higher-up the Marines had. Some said Akainu, others insisted it'd been Kizaru but there was never any confirmation on this.

Even to this day, the exact reasons on why this had even been done was still a mystery to Aiya. Not that she cared much, though perhaps the small part of her which remembered being an innocent child did. The side of her which screamed for justice, to avenge her parents and unborn sibling, and everyone else on the formerly inhabited island.

It had been a good ten years, probably more. Yet her feet hadn't seemed to forget where to go. About twenty paces later, she stood in front two graves. Despite the entire cemetery being filled with unmarked tombs, she had purposely distinguished which were the ones where her parents had been put to rest.

How so?

Because she dug them herself. As such, the ground was always looked slightly more uneven than usual.

As Aiya closed her eyes, she sank to her knees in front of the graves. In what would have been the softest voice Saku - or anyone - would have heard from her, she gently uttered two words under her breath.

"Mom ... dad ... "

What would have been more surprising than hearing her tone change was the sight that came next. Her body shook and, for the first time since she'd come back to see her entire island destroyed into little more than ruins and oblivion, Headhuntress Aiya _cried_.

"I'm sorry," she murmured as what started out a slow, steady stream of tears fell down her face. As they quickened in pace, however, the unmistakable sensation of small rain droplets registered to Aiya's body.

Sure enough, a simple glance at the sky revealed it was indeed raining.

 _Fitting, I suppose,_ she mused, inwardly smirking. _Well, I can always use this as an excuse._

Everyone seemed to, after all. It was either that or insisting they merely had something in their eyes, or even another trick.

 _"Mommy! Daddy!"_ A younger version, one who appeared to be no more than twelve years old, appeared in her mind. _"Sorry I took so long, but I'm - "_

The real Aiya's sobs strengthened, making her body further shudder as she remembered perfectly the sight her young eyes were met with. Bodies everywhere. Almost all dead from the wounds they'd been given. One, however, had managed to use what one could assume to be sheer willpower and was barely alive when she returned from running errands; her father.

 _"Aiya,"_ The Headhuntress gripped her lip as she literally saw herself shakily walk towards him, kneeling in the pool of blood surrounding and coating his body.

 _"Father! What happened?! Please, don't leave me!"_

Her fists clenched as she heard that same and very out-of-place reply. He'd laughed; fucking chuckled. Sure, there were hints he had broken down himself. But it almost otherwise looked as if he was ready to be carried away by Death, something that still infuriated Aiya to this day.

 _"It's already too late for me, my daughter. I regret ... a lot though. However, I don't have time to dwell on those. Listen carefully to me. Aiya, you are special, more so than you realize. You must live on. Carry ... out our legacy, the will of the D family."_

"I understand," Aiya muttered softly.

Meanwhile, Dracule's raft had arrived. The damn thing was small and Saku had gone into his room to wait for Aiya. As such, he failed to notice the Shichibukai arrive, otherwise he would have hurried off to warn her.

He ignored any and everything else, save for a few things; namely the sight of Aiya's ship and then Aiya herself.

Yet, he stayed silent. Despite his serious demeanor, Mihawk did have a sense of morals and honor. He'd allow the red-haired bounty hunter to briefly mourn.

However, when he was done waiting, he let her know in what was by far the easiest possible method. "Headhuntress Aiya," he called out in a stern but serious voice.

The voice made her blood freeze then boil. Aiya got quickly up to her feet and turned around. She started to reach for Kazekami, only to be halted by the black blade of Mihawk's own infamous sword, Yoru.

"I'm actually here to talk," Dracule simply stated. "I ... have an offer for you."

Aiya frowned at his words, glancing between his amber eyes and the blade threatening to sever her hand off should she dare to make a move. "Talk?" she repeated in an incredulous voice, "What's there to talk about?"

"Quite a bit, actually. So ... you are the sole survivor the rumors hint about. Are you not?"

He got no verbal response, though Dracule did note Aiya narrow her eyes.

"Fine. I will take that as a yes. You realize what this would do if anyone else found out, do you not?"

"Tch, tell me something I don't know," Aiya muttered.

Dracule smirked and nodded, "Very well then. You do probably know a massive search is ongoing for you. What you probably _don't_ know is how large it is. All of the Shichibukai, Admirals, and most of the Vice Admirals are assisting with trying to find and capture you. Here's the part you don't know. I honestly would find it a waste to kill you."

Aiya's eyes widened then narrowed again upon hearing the last sentence, "You ... what?! Don't fuck with me! You don't care! You're _with_ them!"

As deftly as she' d seen Yoru produced, it shifted from threatening to remove her hand and soon landed beside her throat.

"True. I am with the Government and Marines, yes. However, I have no love for them. I'm merely a Shichibukai to kill boredom. Nothing more, nothing less. You, however, clearly have potential. You have shown this time and time again from our encounters. Even here and now, you still are proving this is true. I can feel your determination, your killing intent. It's ... very refreshing. But it is also unrefined, untrained due to lack of discipline. I want to take you in. Let me hide you away on my private island and train you personally."

Aiya heard every word that left the Shichibukai's lips. Believing them, however, was another story.

... As such, when the shock vanished, she blinked ... and then laughed.

" _You_? Train _me_? This is all a really good lie, I'll give you that. But don't bullshit me."

"I'm not," Dracule quipped, causing Aiya's laughter to cease.

 _... He .. means it, then?_

It seemed as much, even though it confused the hell out of Aiya. She found herself staring, her fists clenching tighter than they had when she remembered her flashback. "Why?!" she finally managed to spit out, "Why does this matter so much to you?!"

"Did I not tell you? It's a waste to kill someone with so much potential. But ... you are right in thinking I haven't revealed other reasons. Those, however, can wait until you give me a definite answer. If you refuse though, I will have to inform the others. This hunt won't stop, not until you're found and killed. Surely, you know this, do you not?"

"I figured, yeah."

Mihawk took his turn to raise an eyebrow, "That doesn't bother you?"

"Not really, no."

Mihawk let out the softest of sighs, "I've been honest with you, Aiya. I expect that much back. I can feel your pulse through my blade. It _does_ bother you. I'd go so far as to say it _terrifies_ you. We're both human, after all and - because of this - all share one common wish. No one _wants_ to die. Even you, despite your mannerisms, aren't voluntarily seeking Death out. Of course, your actions could suggest otherwise but ... I can tell, that's not what you want. You're doing it for them."

His head nodded back towards the graves behind Aiya. "Honorable ... but foolish. What's done is done. They cannot be brought back."

"I know that!" Aiya hissed, "I'm not trying to revive them or anything like that! But ... they ... " Her teeth quickly gripped her lower lip as she stopped herself. "Just shut up! It doesn't matter!"

"It _does_ matter!" He replied, actually pressing his blade _against_ her blade rather than having it rest _beside_ her neck. "It drives you to do everything you've been doing, does it not? You are practically a _slave_ to your hatred. That ... is the wrong thing to motivate you. And thus that is why I'm offering to train you. I can give you the correct incentives, make you even stronger than you are now, give you everything no other sword instructor could. Now then, Headhuntress Aiya, what do you say to my offer?"

A long silence that felt much longer than a mere minute hovered in the air before finally, Aiya gave an answer.

"What _is_ your catch? The 'other reasons' you hinted at?"

Dracule let out a faux sigh of annoyance. In truth, he was glad she'd asked. It meant she was as smart and methodical as he'd assumed and told the others. Many others would probably have accepted what appeared like a foolproof sanctuary without any second thoughts. The fact Aiya had some still made him oddly happy.

"Well ... I was going to wait until I got a 'yes' or 'no'. However, if you wish to know now, very well. Just like you, I don't act like the thought of dying bothers me. But it does ... to an extent. More specifically, I eventually want a legacy to carry my name. However, I wouldn't want this from _any_ woman. They'd need to be strong, both physically and mentally. You fit this perfectly. Eventually, I want you to become not just my student but my lover."

Aiya found herself staring with her mouth slightly agape. It was a very blunt answer and one she hadn't planned for, as shown by the expression on her face. Her head bowed, though not before Dracule caught the faintest hints of blush dancing across her face. The thought of genuinely wanting to be loved and accepted was definitely ... nice.

 _But is it the right thing to do?_

As it was, Aiya couldn't say the answer was yes. She was so used to her life of killing people that the thought of settling down had never crossed her mind. If anything, she'd been positive those chances had vanished once she became Headhuntress Aiya.

Finally though, her head lifted as she blocked Yoru with Kazekami, keeping the dark steel off of her skin. "No. I can't ... "

Dracule's expression remained neutral. He didn't show disappointment, anger, or any emotion. He just seemed to take the answer in stride, as if he'd expected this.

" .. Very well. My offer will not vanish, however. Should you change your mind, I will take you in at any point in time. It just seems now is not it. As such ... " He sheathed Yoru away, placing the large sword over his back once more, "I need to fulfill my obligations as much as you need to do your own. I will lie for you this once, slightly anyway. But I suggest you leave and go in a place where you can't be linked to so easily. The next time you're found by any Marine or Shichibukai, make no mistake. You will not be shown mercy and you will be taken to Impel Down."

"Hmph. I understand that," Aiya muttered, walking past Dracule and back onto her ship. "I'm done!" She called out, "We're off!"

"Where to?" Marianne replied, "Oh, and welcome back! How'd it go?"

" ... Never mind that much," Her head turned, only to see Dracule still standing in the exact same spot he'd been during their talk. Still, just to be on the safe side, she nodded to herself, "Just ... sail for now. I will think of a good place to head. I'm a bit drained. No more questions."

"Umm ... alright. Understood, Aiya."

A few moments after Aiya's ship left, Dracule walked back into his raft and sat down. He reached down and pulled his Den Den Mushi out before pushing against it lightly. After a minute or so passed, he heard the sound of Garp's voice on the other end.

"Yes? Have you found her?"

"Just missed her, I'm afraid," Dracule answered.

"Damnit! Where was she?"

"Freeport."

" ... Why there?"

"Isn't it obvious? We've all heard about the theory that one person may have survived that ordeal, haven't we? Aiya _is_ that said individual. She was paying respects but ran when I approached."

"Damnit," Garp murmured, "This has suddenly become even more vital. Did you see which direction she headed towards?"

"Barely, but yes. Try the isles near or around Alabasta."

As the conversation ended, Dracule looked out over the vast sea.

 _I've kept my word; now hopefully you'll heed my warning and not be near there._

If she was, though, it was now out of his hands ... for now, anyway. However, that was what back up plans were for. Thankfully, Mihawk did have quite a few that he'd stowed away in his mind for in case Aiya rejected his offer. He was in no rush to find her once more. Something in the back of the swordsman's mind reassured him that, eventually, she would accept.

And when that day arrived, it would be the start of a new beginning for him.

Until then, Mihawk could afford to wait a bit longer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

It had taken two and a half days but, sure enough, Aiya did take Dracule's warning to heart. She never told either Saku nor Marianne about the talk she'd had with him, though both did notice over the past few days she seemed more serious than usual. It showed when she originally suggested that they try to sail towards Mariejois.

"Mariejois?!" Saku had exclaimed when she first told him this. "Are you _mad_?! You will be shot on sight! That isle has _strictly_ World Government and Noble individuals there! You will gain _nothing_ from hiding there!"

Suffice to say, she had originally shot him a glare. However, after a quick scan of the map, Saku was spared from the borderline suicide idea as she found something smarter and better to pursue.

"Fine," she said, "Then we'll head for Water 7."

Indeed, it was much better than the original plan. Still, both Saku and Marianne tried to pester Aiya with numerous questions. Those were finally halted as she entered her room and locked herself inside, insisting she wanted to be left alone so she could get a hot, warm bath and rest in.

Even though that had been a few days ago, the memory was etched into Aiya's mind as if it had happened mere hours ago. Her eyes began to flutter as she heard their mermaid navigator finally speak up.

"Aiya! Saku! We're at Water 7 now!"

"Thank you," Aiya muttered, "I'm getting up. Gimme a sec ... "

Unfortunately, Saku was - at this point - done being patient, something he made blatantly clear as he stormed into Aiya's room and looked down at her with a stern expression.

"Pray tell me, what exactly do you intend to do here, hm? We're fine with supplies, so it isn't that. You've been insanely secretive about this entire ordeal, more so than usual. What's up? I may have assigned you as captain but this is still _my_ ship."

Aiya stayed silent for a few moments before exhaling softly and nodding, "Alright. Yeah, yeah. You're right. You do deserve that much. Well ... " As she sat up in her bed, the covers fell away. When they did, Saku would see she was wearing a strapless bra that would put the tops to most other mermaids to shame. It left basically nothing to the imagination and all but revealed her ample chest to him. "Summed up, I had another encounter back at Freeport with - "

When she saw Saku's eyes weren't lookinng at her own crimson orbs, she coughed. "Oi! Eyes up here, Saku, not down there."

"You make it difficult _not_ to look there," he muttered. "Anyway, who found you now?"

"Mihawk," Aiya simply said. "In fact, he offered to take me in, to train me with my swordsmanship."

Saku took a few moments to register the words in his mind .. before giving a similar reaction that Aiya had to Mihawk. He snickered.

"I thought the same too," Aiya responded, her expression refusing to alter.

"Wait ... so he _meant_ that?"

"Apparently. I'm flattered he thinks it's a waste for me to die. But ... " Her head moved from side to side, "I couldn't just accept that. I have no reassurance he would have kept his word."

"... Okay. Wait, wait, wait. You were just offered the ultimate way to avoid capture and you _denied_ it?" Saku had known Aiya was a bit nuts but this was _insane_ ; at least to him. He frowned as he strode over and laid a hand on her forehead, only to have it deftly smacked away by the Headhuntress.

"Yes, I'm fine!" she hissed. "Anyway, we're mainly here so I can lay low. However, while our ship doesn't need _repairs_ , it could maybe use some additions, don't you think?"

"Hmmm ... " Clearly, this had gotten Saku's attention as he thought long and hard on it before nodding. "I can see about it, yes."

"You do that. I'll be off in a bit. I need to get changed." Her tone spelled out she wouldn't allow him to just stand there and watch.

Thankfully, Saku heard his cues. Straightening his top hat, he nodded before quietly turning on his heels and exiting Aiya's room, closing her door behind him.

"Geez. That boy, I swear." Aiya muttered as she stood up, clad _only_ in the bra. An empty sake bottle on her bedside mantle hinted she had gotten too warm and removed most of her clothes in her sleep. Or before she passed out, whatever seemed more appealing to Saku though in truth, it had been during her slumber.

Within a few moments, she was wearing her usual attire consisting of pants, a tube top, cloak, socks, and boots; all with her two swords attached on either of her hips.

"Marianne? If others come on the ship, it's because Saku is going to have additions added on the ship. Just stay silent; I'm sure he'll inform them to leave your space alone."

"Yes ma'am~" Marianne called back in her typical, cheerful voice.

Taking a slight breath, Aiya finally walked off of their ship and stepped foot onto Water 7. _Luffy-kun already had his frays with the CP-9 so they shouldn't be here._

While Aiya's logic was correct about that much, she was wrong in thinking she would be completely safe.

As the Headhuntress strode into Water 7, she got the usual reactions; gasps, stares, the usual suspects.

Yet among one of the shadier parts, a very ecstatic pair of shades could have been seen if Aiya - or anyone at that matter - took the time to look for them.

 _Fuffuffu ... well, now. This hunt finally went from boring to intriguing._

Hiding away was none other than one of the very people that Mihawk had warned Aiya about; Donquixote Doflamingo. Even with his glasses still hiding his eyes, anyone nearby would be able to practically _feel_ his eagerness to confront the Headhuntress.

But .. not quite yet. She was close to a good spot, but not there.

When she arrived though, he'd take his cue and possibly more.

Of course, that all also depended on whether Fate was smiling down at him or Aiya to begin with. Either way, it would be interesting regardless. And the other Shichibukai had every intention of at least incapacitating Aiya if not succeeding in capturing her.


End file.
